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Sansui G-8000 Cabinet Veneered In Walnut

MAXZ28

MAXZ28

Addicted Member
So I've always felt that the Big G Sansui's deserved real wood verses the vinyl laminate that the factory slapped on and since I'm waiting for Avionic to finish the recap on my Sansui G-8000, I figured I'd go ahead and pretty up the rough cabinet with some real walnut veneer.

Supplies:

48" x 96" Cedan Walnut Self-Adhesive backed veneer - special ordered from Menards and shipped directly to my door for $56 total. Good for about 3 G cabinets.

Watco's Danish Oil - Medium Walnut / Natural $8

Tools & Such Used

Screw Driver - Philips head [ trim / grill removal ]

Power Drill with pilot bit for hardware recesses

Hair dryer or Heat gun - laminate removal

Clothes Iron - [ activating the adhesive ]

Exacto Knife [ cutting / trimming veneer edges ]

Bandit Veneer Edge Trimmer [ trimming veneer edges ]

Dremel with drum sander [ sanding trimplate contours and hardware recesses ]

Finishing rags and mineral spirits

Needle nose plier

220 & 400 grit sandpaper with sanding block

0000 steel wool


Here's how the cabinet looked like prior to starting - cigarette burns and anarchy symbol and a minor nick.

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The first thing was to remove all the trim plates and grill from the cabinet.

I then lifted the edge of the laminate using the exacto blade and heated up the vinyl with the hair dryer.

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Once I got the edge lifted enough with the needle nose pliers, I applied heat to the underside and outerside of the vinyl in an alternating fashion.

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There....enough to pull up using my hand.

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It took me about ten minutes to remove the laminate completely.

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With the laminate removed, that cabinet looks great with only the substrate exposed.

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I cut my three pieces of veneer about 1/8" too long per piece and started with one side rough cutting the excess away before peeling, applying, and heating the veneer.

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Ironing the veneer using a t-shirt to protect the surface of the wood.

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Here's how the side looked prior to trimming.

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I used my dremel to sand the contours of the sides.

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Working right side to top to left, I next did the top veneer.

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I rough cut the grill opening with the exacto and trimmed up the edges with the edge trimmer tool.

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I followed up with finishing the left side just as I did the right side veneering.


Next, I test fitted the trimplates and grill to make sure everything fit appropriately.

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Looks good.

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I used my power hand drill and bit to drill the six hardware recess pilot holes from the inside out.

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I then took my dremel and carefully sanded out the veneer from the recesses in a circular fashion. If you go too fast, you risk oblonging the holes. Take your time.

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Once I had all the edges properly trimmed, I went over the veneer with my sanding block and 220 grit sand paper. I followed up with another hand sanding using 400 grit sandpaper and wiped everything down with a rag and mineral spirits.

I used a rag to apply the Watco's Danish Oil. Using the medium walnut finish first will give the base coat a darker tint verses just natural. In between coats, I'll use the steel wool to further smooth the surface of the veneer. Here's how it looks so far.

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I plan to use the natural for the rest of the finish coats. It should turn out beautiful. Updated pics to follow as I continue the finishing process. I'll be using Minwax Special Dark wood wax once the finish is completely cured.
 
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Great job and great step by step.

My one question is, how do you get the top and side edge to mate up?
Do you have to trim angles?

Rob
 
Another excellent "how to" and great work Darren! I have a pallet of cases headed your way for similar treatment! :D
 
Wow!!! It looks fantastic! :thmbsp:

I am currently in the middle of veneering job on my G22000... I am using real rosewood veneer, and I am going to show you some pictures...

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I will post the final result when I will finish veneering job....
 
Thanks for the kind words, everybody!

Your G22K veneering looks great, Kale! :thmbsp: I'm anxious to see the woodgrain "pop" when finished!
 
Very nice! I am restoring my G-9000 and am about finished with the electronics and cleaning. Next step is the veneering of the case. This thread and your pictures has got me jacked. Great Job :thmbsp:
 
Just thought of a question. You mentioned that you drilled through the holes from the inside /out. Did you lay the case on a block of wood and then drilled through the holes into the block. I'm just wondering how to avoid possibly messing up the veneer when it busts through to the outside. Any secret to this:scratch2:
 
Robisme said:
Great job and great step by step.

My one question is, how do you get the top and side edge to mate up?
Do you have to trim angles?

Rob
Click to expand...

Hi Rob! If you look closely at some of the side pictures, I just did straight cuts at the seams using an exacto knife and trimmed off the excess using my Bandit trimmer. I'm using some stainable fill to smooth over them. Once color matched and sanded, the seams will be virtually invisible.

The top of the cabinet is approximately 22" wide and the sides are something like 5.5" or so [ I can't recall exactly ] but you just have to make sure everything is square, measure twice allowing a little error room, and cut once for each seam. I started at the edge of my veneer and just made three cuts. Doing so makes matching the woodgrain on the sides to the top relatively fool-proof.

Now if you want to really tighten up the seams, just miter the cuts at 45 degrees. It takes precision and patience to make it right but if you have a mat cutter with an angled blade, that's the easiest route. I have one but I decided to forego using it and just fill any seam gap with wood filler instead.
 
geode said:
Just thought of a question. You mentioned that you drilled through the holes from the inside /out. Did you lay the case on a block of wood and then drilled through the holes into the block. I'm just wondering how to avoid possibly messing up the veneer when it busts through to the outside. Any secret to this:scratch2:
Click to expand...

Yep. I took some scrap wood and placed the cabinet on end on top of it. Doing so minimizes the "push out" of veneer fibers. I used a drill bit the same size as the screw holes which was big enough to fit my smallest dremel drum sander bit inside. Using a circular motion with light pressure, I dremeled the veneer away from the substrate recess. Since the veneer is softer than the plywood, it was just a matter of going slowly in a circle until all the veneer was gone. I have a variable speed dremel and I used the fastest speed which gave me the smoothest results. This method worked very well.
 
Great job can we sticky this thread so other members can do the same.I have done mine in Cherry and my spare case in black ash and love them.:D
 
This needs to be a "sticky" but maybe better in the DIY forum where non-Sansui types could also benefit.
 
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